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Manufacturers of plastic products can get a grip on productivity with the first configurable suction cup from Piab

Date 22/09/2010

New piGRIP® offers energy and cost savings

Piab, a leading supplier of industrial vacuum technology, launches its new piGRIP® suction cup, the first configurable suction cup on the market. The new piGRIP® allows manufacturers to choose the ideal combination of lip and bellow so production lines can handle plastic products at previously unprecedented speeds while realizing energy savings.

Available with a range of independent lips, bellows and fittings in sizes from 25-77mm, the new piGRIP® suction cup can be customized for thousands of applications for full operational flexibility. Whereas traditional grippers can only be used for select applications, the piGRIP® can be tailored to individual gripping, lifting and height requirements to handle a variety of products and fit with a number of robots and machines for automated suction cup handling applications and pick-and-place operations such as injection moulding automation. The piGRIP® can be used with new machines as well as for retrofitting existing systems.

Overall line efficiency is enhanced with the piGRIP®’s superior suction grip, which allows for higher robot speeds. This powerful grip is made possible through the variety of lip options available with the piGRIP®, allowing manufacturers to choose the desired hardness or softness for optimum sealing. For example, flexible lips provide extra sealing capability for the handling of surface-leaking and porous materials, while foam lips are ideal for difficult to handle products with heavily textured surfaces.

With the piGRIP®, the ideal lip and bellow combination can be selected so manufacturers of plastic products are no longer forced to compromise on either grip or robot handling speed, which is often the case with one-size-fits-all suction cup units. All of Piab’s bellows have a proprietary thin wall design which ensures that faster compressions and returns can be achieved, allowing extra high lifting force compared to traditional cups in the same size. With this capability to handle faster accelerations and more high speed lifts, machines can run at faster speeds leading to shorter production cycles, and increasing overall productivity.

The piGRIP® suction cup is made from materials that can be used in high temperature applications of up to 120°C, such as plastic injection moulding. Comprised of materials that are free from silicon and Paint Wetting Impairment Substances (PWIS), the suction cup is also suitable for automation in coating and painting processes. This ensures that products can be painted after the moulding process without the risk of marks on the plastic surface.

The new configurable suction cup also contributes sustainability benefits. The piGRIP® offers 20-50% more lifting force than similar sized cups to reduce energy consumption and save costs. The piGRIP® also features 100% recyclable and separable materials, which, once the suction cup is recycled, can be reused for the same or a number of other purposes. By reducing scrap this contributes to an environmentally friendly waste management program.

“With a growing awareness of environmental issues across the globe, manufacturers are seeking solutions that offer both optimum performance and energy efficiency,” said Ed McGovern, Vice President, Sales and Business Development North America, Piab. “The new revolutionary piGRIP® brings a step change in vacuum technology by being the first complete configurable suction cup concept on the market. This exciting development allows us to help manufacturers optimize their production lines while also contributing to a sustainable world.”

The unique suction cup is on display at several international trade shows across Europe, North America and Asia during autumn 2010. For more information, please see our trade show calendar.

About Piab

Established in 1951, Piab designs innovative vacuum solutions that improve the energy-efficiency, productivity, and working environments of vacuum users around the world. As a reliable partner to many of the world’s largest manufacturers, Piab develops and manufactures a complete line of vacuum pumps, vacuum accessories, vacuum conveyors and suction cups for a variety of automated material handling and factory automation processes. Piab utilizes COAX®, a completely new dimension in vacuum technology, in many of its original products and solutions. COAX® cartridges are smaller, more energy efficient and more reliable than conventional ejectors, and can be integrated directly into machinery. This allows for the design of a flexible, modular vacuum system. Piab is a worldwide organization with subsidiaries and distributors in more than 50 countries. Its headquarters are in Sweden.

Auto tuning

Auto tuning is an example of decentralised decisions that form the basis for Industry 4.0. This is an area where Piab has been busy introducing new equipment features promoting smart production.

Preset settings

The ability to use accurate preset settings also provides opportunity for real-time adjustments of single or multiple settings without a major reset of the entire system.

Easy to simulate with software

Simulations are designed to increase the efficiency of, for instance, vacuum pumps. Estimates show that a pump that is 5 to 20 percent more efficient would result in a productivity gain of up to 10 percent.

Condition monitoring

Estimates suggest it will be possible to achieve a drop of between 1 and 20 percent in the amount of unplanned and/or planned stops. This would translate into a significant productivity boost.

Interoperability

The adoption of IO-Link is the key, as it guarantees interoperability between different devices, regardless of the technology standard used in the overall system.

Information transparency

IO-Link provides a platform for integrated communication and sensors, enabling successful information transparency. Hence, making equipment available with IO-Link can be viewed as a commitment to both interoperability and information transparency.

More energy saving

For large vacuum systems, there are features which can help reduce the air consumption by up to 90 percent in every cycle.